Adventures in making baby food!

My Mother's Day gift this year was the super fabulous Beaba baby food maker. So far I am really enjoying making Abigail's food and since it's been pretty easy , I thought I would share my experience! 

Mike and I spend a lot of time together in the kitchen and we cook most of our meals at home, so making Abigail's food has not felt like a chore.  In fact, it's been so much fun! Here is a quick run down of how to make your own baby food.  

First, pick the fruit and vegetables for your little one and soak them for a few minutes in a mixture of vinegar and water.  This will help you remove any bacteria or pesticide residue that may be on the skins. I think it's helpful to know what the " Dirty Dozen" are so you can buy organic or clean them really well before feeding them to your baby.  

Next, you want to chop your produce.  Certain vegetables like sweet potatoes will retain more nutrients if you bake them, but most are easy to steam and then puree.  The Beaba actually has the ability to steam and puree so if you are making a small batch or a single meal, this is a wonderful food cooker!  When I want to make a larger batch of food, I will use my stackable steamer and pile it up with goodness!  

Here is a great website for baby food recipes and helpful tips for making your own baby food.  Abigail is eating pureed food right now, so I am transferring my steamed produce to a food processor.  One thing I really like about steaming her food is that you can retain the nutrients in the water and use this for your puree.  

There are lots of different options for storing your baby food.  Many people like the convenience of using ice trays to freeze food and then transferring the cubes to freezer bags.  I am trying to use glass when I can, so I found These glass jars for storage and they have worked great so far! Another fabulous feature of the Beaba is that you can place a frozen jar of baby food within the basket and turn the dial to steam and it will thaw your food in less than 5 minutes. 

Of course, making baby food wouldn't be as fun without my little helper!  She entertains herself while I am chopping and filling the jars.  

So if you have been wanting to give it a try, I promise it's easy and fun!  Bananas and avocados are also super easy foods to try because you just mash them!  No cooking needed!  

Happy adventures in baby bood making!